Penn Engineers have discovered a novel means of directing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the revolutionary molecules that delivered the COVID-19 vaccines, to target specific tissues, presaging a new era in personalized medicine and gene therapy. While past research — including at Penn Engineering — has screened “libraries” of LNPs to find specific variants that target organs like the lungs,...
Tag: <span>mRNA</span>
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Brain vesicles found to contain selectively packaged, full-length mRNA
by Sanford-Burnham Prebys This portrait of extracellular vesicles was taken using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The membrane was stained with fluorescent dye. Image titled “Exosomes” courtesy of Tomaž Einfalt, University of Basel, under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. Credit: Tomaž EinfaltScientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have demonstrated that vesicles traveling between cells in the brain carry...
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Targeting the mRNA of ‘undruggable’ proteins in the fight against Parkinson’s disease
by Justin Jackson , Medical Xpress Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainResearchers at the Scripps Research Institute, Florida, have developed a new method to counteract α-synuclein protein levels by targeting the mRNA that forms them. The strategy unlocks many research doors with potential therapeutic approaches for addressing neurodegenerative diseases. In a paper, “Decreasing the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein...
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mRNA skin cancer therapy halves risk of death in clinical trial
By Michael Irving mRNA technology has proven promising against skin cancer in a new phase 2b clinical trial Depositphotos Moderna has announced the results of a Phase 2b trial investigating its mRNA treatment for skin cancer, and it continues a streak of promising news. When paired with an immunotherapy, the treatment significantly reduced the risks of...
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Emerging Anti-Cancer mRNA Vaccines in the Pipeline
Patricia Weiser, Pharm.D. Vaccine technology is rapidly growing in the pharmaceutical industry, with therapy options expanding in response to areas of clinical need. One area of focus is the development of vaccines targeting cancer. Cancer vaccines generally fall into two categories: preventive and active treatment. Preventive cancer vaccines are currently more established and focus on...
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Moderna’s mRNA RSV Vaccine Effective in Older Adults
Whether it provides lasting protection remains to be seen by Katherine Kahn, Staff Writer, MedPage Today December 13, 2023A computer rendering of RSV viruses in the lungs. Moderna’s mRNA-based RSV vaccine was effective at preventing RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in adults ages 60 and older, according to results of the randomized ConquerRSVopens in a...
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Researchers Redesign Future mRNA Therapeutics
Posted Today Researchers have discovered that misreading of therapeutic mRNAs by the cell’s decoding machinery can cause an unintended immune response in the body.DNA – artistic interpretation. DNA – artistic interpretation. Image credit: Alius Noreika, created with Bing Image Creator In a collaboration of universities, including Dr Lance Turtle at the University of Liverpool, researchers have...
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Lipid Nanoparticles That Deliver mRNA to T Cells Hold Promise for Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune disorders are among the most prevalent chronic diseases across the globe, affecting approximately 5-7% of the world’s population. Emerging treatments for autoimmune disorders focus on “adoptive cell therapies,” or those using cells from a patient’s own body to achieve immunosuppression. These therapeutic cells are recognized by the patient’s body as ‘self,’ therefore limiting side...
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mRNA’s next trick? Reprogramming off-the-shelf cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases
mRNA’s next trick? Reprogramming off-the-shelf cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseasesRyan CrossSenior Science CorrespondentLei Lei WuNews ReporterA handful of biotechs, including Moderna, are betting that simple infusions with mRNA could supercharge immune cells to fight cancer and other diseases in what would be a fresh take on CAR-T cell therapies.Instead of collecting a patient’s...
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Enhanced mRNA Vaccine May Work Intranasally.
Researchers at MIT have developed an enhanced mRNA vaccine system that can elicit a greater immune response at lower doses. The vaccine technology is so potent that it may be useful for intranasal COVID-19 vaccines. This would have the benefit of localized immunity in the nasal mucus membranes that could kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus before...